Improvement in machines for mending stockings



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V l `13.4ARN0LD. MACHINE FOR MENDING STOGKINGS.

Patented Ang. 10, .-1869.

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' 2"Sheetis- Shee1; 2. B. ARNOLD. Y MACHINE POR MENDING STOUKINGS.

` Patented Aug 10, 1869.

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TN: nomas Pains co. Primo-Lynn.. w/ umn'ron UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN ARNOLD, OF EAST GREEN WIOH, RHODE ISLAND.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Nth-93,394, dated August 10, 18li9.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be itknown that I, BENJAMIN ARNOLD, of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Mending Stockings and other Fabrics; and I do hereby declare the following to vbe a full and'oorreet description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Inakingpart of thisA specification', and to the letters and numbers of ,reference marked thereon, similar letters and numbers being used in all the gures to denote the same part.

In these drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 shows a vertical longitudinal .section taken in the direction of the red line, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a view taken from the under side of the machine.,A Fig. 4. shows the under side of band C. Fig. 5 shows how the rows of stitches are joined together. Fig. 6 is a top view of the looper. Fig. Sis a ring for holding the work. Figs.7 and 9show other forms of some of the parts.

The nature of myinvention consists in mending or filling up a hole in a stocking or otherfabric by making a row or successive rows of stitches around the opening, filling the space to the center, and joining these rows together, so as to form a piece of webbing, filling the opening, and attaching to lthe fabric by the rst row of stitches, whicharetaken iu the border or edge of the fabric around the opening.

The construction is as follows: A is a table or platform, to which is secured the standard D, that holds the driving-shaft C'. On the inner end of this shaft is put a crank, a', or its equivalent, which gives motion to a sliding arm, O, which moves up'A and down in slides on the standard D, and which has its outer end fitted to hold an ordinary sewing-1nachine needle, c, with the'eye near the point. `Another standard, B, is placedon the platform, under the outer end ofthe arm O, and holds a spherical block, Q, on its upper end. This vblock is divided near its middle horizontally,

so that the upper half may move on the lower half, a tube, a, attached to the upper half, ex. tending down through. the standard B, serving to hold it in place 'and to move it. Arod, b, is putin the center of -this tube a, and has on its upper end a looper to catch the thread or yarn in the needle c, and an arm, g, is fastthe band C.

vened to the lower end of the rodt'o move it by. Another arm, h, is fastened to the lower end of the tube (See Fig. 3.)

' j is a ring attached by two pivots tothe lower part ofthe block, so as to swing freely from' a horizontal to a nearly perpendiculrr position. On the outside of this ring is aband, G, in which an annular recess is made to hold the ring j. The band moves around the block and holds the article to be worked upon. It is moved in a circular direction on the ring by the plato x, attached to the .upper part ot' the block, the edge ot' the plate catching like apawlin the notches on the lower edge ot (See Fig. 4.) from an inclined position to a horizontal one gradually by means of notches in the edge of f the'plate se, (or a ,separate plate may be used,)

iuwhichthe lower'edg'e of theband runs', and

thisv edge being formed in a sort of spiral shape, gains one notch at each revolution of the band rc, so that as it revolves it gradually approaches a horizontal position.

The parts that give motionto the looper and feeding mechanism are the knee-lever t, with its connectingbar S, which has one end pvoted to the arnijon the lower end -of the looper-rod, and the'f crooked lever y, -in which the lever t is hung andby which `it is moved. Lever y is connected by .the bar nto the arm on the tube a. Allv these parts derive their motion from a plate, z, hung on a pivot, o', in the face of the arm O, and having the crankpin c projecting througha slot therein, which gives the plate .e a sidewise motion, which, combined with the motion up and down,given to it by the arm 0, produces a circular'motion at its lower end, which is communicated v to the long arm of the lever t, which projects through a hole in the lower end of plate c.

In the standard w a lever, 17, is hung, having a hook on the end of it, which comes close by the needle when it isv down. A slot inthe lever, where itis pvoted, lallows it to move forward and back, motion being given. to it by the pin (l in the arm O.

Fig. 5 shows how the rows of stitches are joined together. As the. work is fed around, the stitch in a former row-that is; nearestto the needle--is drawn out and held in position for the needle to pass through it by the hook p.

Fig. Qshows another way of feedingtheband O around by having a ratchet made ou its ini' i l The band is moved v side and an arm with a pawl to work in the ratchet on tube a, the arm to work in arecess cut out between the two parts of the block.

Fig. 7 shows a way of feeding the work to the needle without turning it around, but hy giving it an undulatory motion, the ring j in this case being hung on the upper part of the block,which is moved clear around by an arm and ratchet, and carrying `the ring with it, obliging the band G,which in this case cannot turn, to make an undulating or waving motion,

which bringsall sides of the opening in succession to the needle.

The operation is as follows The stocking or article to be worked on is dra-wn on over the top of the block Q, where it is secured to the band C by the ring-j. The plate :vis then depressed and the band (l tipped up until the needle,\vhen it comes down,will enter the edge of the fabric near the hole to be filled. The thread oryarn is threaded through the guide c and down through the eye of the needle c. Motion being given tothe wheel m, the crankpin a will move the arm O down and push the needle through the fabric near the edge ofthe hole, and as the needle rises the looper n turns around and enters betweenthe thread and the needle, compressing the spring e',which,whcn the needle rises farther, springs out and holds the loop ready for the needle to enter when it comes down again. Then itenters between the spring c and louper-point. turns back and leaves the loop on the needle, and is ready to turn and catch the thread when the needle rises, as before. This forms a row 'of chain-stitches, the band, with the article on it, being fed around by the plate moved by the arm h, connection, and lever y, and gradu- @ally raised to a horizontal position by the action of the spiral edge of the band G in the notches in the plate m. When the arm O has nearly reached its lowest position the pin d will raise the front end of the lever p by depressing its rear end, and push it forward by the diagonal-slot at the same time; but when the arm 0 rises it will depress the hooked end of the le- The looper ver p by raising the back end, and then draw it back by the diagonal slot. The hook catching.

,edge of the band C, and when the needle is up clear of the work the plate :c is moved back again and carries the band C and work with it. This gives the feed for the stitches; but the feed for rows is accomplished by a notch in edge of the band C, the sides of the notch being one bent out and the other bent in, so as to take one notch higher in the side ofthe plate a," at each revolution of the band, thus gradually raising it to a horizontal position.

Having thus described my machine, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is4

1. The band C, in combination with the block Q and plate fr, or its equivalent, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The hookp or its equivalent, operating to catch a stitch in a row of stitches4 previously made and spread and hold it so that the needle shall pass through it,l substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of mechanism for pro ducing a rotary feed motion to form a row of stitches with mechanism for producing a vertical feed motion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Mending or filling upa hole in astocking or other fabric by making successive rows ot' chain-stitches around the opening, the outer row being taken in the edge of the fabric, and the rows joined together, substantially as herein set forth. v

BENJAMIN ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ARNOLD, HORACE N. FOSTER. 

